Quotes

“…whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It's your mission on earth." This quote was said by Melchizedek to Santiago the first time they met. It means that dreams aren't silly or something that should be ignored. Instead dreams are the primary way people get in touch with their mystical powers. The quote also introduces the thought of the Soul of the Universe, which is also referred to as the Soul of the World. This is extremely important because Santiago must understand this, so he can become the wind.

“…every blessing ignored becomes a curse. I don't want anything else in life. But you are forcing me to look at wealth and at horizons that I have never known. Now that I have seen them, and now that I see how immense my possibilities are, I'm going to feel worse than I did before you arrived. Because I know the things I should be able to accomplish, and I don't want to do so.”

The Crystal Merchant says this to Santiago as he is leaving Tangiers. The crystal Merchant expresses a regret common among several ancillary characters in the book like Santiago's father and the baker. The crystal merchant gives Santiago a warning saying those who ignore Personal Legends in favor of setting into material comforts feel unhappy about not discovering their untapped potential.

“We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it’s our life or our possessions or our property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand.”

The camel driver addresses fear to Santiago while telling his life story on the way to Al-Fayoum. Fears acts as the biggest impediment in achieving one's Personal Legend. On Santiago's quest he feels tempted to abandon it because he is afraid of losing what he already has earned. The irony of Santiago's fear is that Santiago earns a greater reward each time he abandons his fear.The quotation also tells you not to fear anything, especially if you play a role in something bigger than yourself.

“The alchemists spent years in their laboratories, observing the fire that purified the metals. They spent so much time close to the fire that gradually they gave up the vanities of the world. They discovered that the purification of the metals had led to a purification of themselves.”

The quotation gives key insight that connects the practice of transforming metals through alchemy with the idea that human beings attaining spiritual perfection through following Personal Legends. Just as alchemist purify lead, removing its impurities to transform into gold, a person can purify himself. As in the example alchemist transform lead, but also they are transforming in the process. They became so focused on their Personal Legends that they rid themselves of all concerns. The alchemist councils Santiago to leave the oasis, for instance, even though Santiago wants to stay for Fatima. But abandoning these other cares acts as the equivalent of removing impurities from lead, and only by remaining committed foremost to living out his Personal Legend will Santiago transform himself.

“What you still need to know is this: before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we’ve learned as we’ve moved toward that dream. That’s the point at which, as we say in the language of the desert, one ‘dies of thirst just when the palm trees have appeared on the horizon. “Every search begins with beginner’s luck. And every search ends with the victor’s being severely tested.”

The alchemist says these last words to Santiago before the two part ways at the end of the novel. In short, the alchemist explains to Santiago why he had to endure so many trials if the universe, as the alchemist and others have said, does actually want him to fulfill his Personal Legend. Santiago, for instance, may have began his journey with “beginner’s luck,” although only to a limited degree as he was immediately robbed and left penniless in Tangier, but as his quest went on he faced progressively more difficult challenges. The alchemist’s statement implies that the important part of pursuing one’s Personal Legend consists not just in reaching the final goal, whether that be turning lead into gold or finding a treasure near the pyramids, but also in learning through action. Earlier in the book, the alchemist explains this notion to Santiago using alchemists as his example. He says the alchemists became too focused on the gold and lost the focus on living out their Personal Legends.